Project Minoris
by Lovehammer Inc
Summary: It is the 32nd Millennium, and the Imperium is still wounded from the Age of Heresy. But the Emperor, he has a plan. Subplot of the main continuity.
1. Origin

{oOo}

_Origins_

{oOo}

The Master of Mankind stirred out of his slumber. Slowly, painfully so, he shook of the last vestiges of sleep and looked down from the Golden Throne. He had no love for the device, but recognized how crucial it was for him to remain upon it. It had been the only structure that could have been re-made into something that would help him heal his wounds.

However, it did not make sitting for long periods of time any more comfortable.

Serenity stood in front of him, worried and sad. It had been ages since she greeted him with a smile. His daughter was an honest creature and hiding her worry from her loved ones was not a part of her nature.

"Father?" she asked, and he smiled at her.

"I'm fine," he said, "as fine as I can be under the circumstances, at least."

She shook her head and smiled sadly. "I wish I could-"

"Some things take time," the Emperor cut in. He knew her regrets and knew she needed comfort, to know that he was indeed slowly getting better.

"Like getting Leman to admit Magnus can be right sometimes?" she laughed softly.

He chuckled, his mind already searching for the topics he needed to address. He woke up far too rarely and as much as he wanted to he couldn't simply spend this period on small talk and jokes with his daughter. Unwillingly, he said, "There are matters you need to share."

Serenity sighed heavily, before beginning to inform him about the newest happenings. There was less upheaval in her narrative, less conflicts and more everyday problems related to running a political and administrative entity as large as the Imperium. The Elder, to his surprise, have proven to be loyal allies and apparently one Craftworld had petitioned to join the Imperium, trading the services of the Eldar for protection. Horus was still negotiating the fine points of the treaty.

Yet, there were still planets under the control of Chaos cults and the renegade Marines kept appearing, raiding Imperial worlds and leading the nearest Chapter on long chases. The opportunistic Dark Eldar tended to use this to jump to a system furthest from the strike force and steal as many as slaves as they could. The orks, invariably, sought war and destruction.

"I have… an idea for a new defence system," he said finally. "We shall need your crystal."

{oOo}

AN: Here is the start, as written by Bloody Mary.


	2. 0 Baal Primus

{oOo}

_Experiment 0_

{oOo}

It was sheer bad luck that the ship on which Nefer was on was attacked as it left the Warp.

How the Orkz did it would remain mystery for most, but they somehow managed to sneak up in the Warp, while navigating what was for all intents and purposes an asteroid with thrusters.

Then they boarded and started having fun, orky way.

There was shouting, and running, and gunfire. It was the last place any civilian wanted to be.

_I'm going to die._

The thought consumed Nefer for a single, utterly horrible moment.

I'm really going to die. This is it. I'll never get back home. I'm going to die.

_I don't WANT to die!_

His mind screamed in horror, utter terror, and as it did so, he felt a sense of disassociation.

The battlefield. It was burning.

The explosions began to blur into each other,

The people, they were dying.

A part of him said they were his people. another said they weren't

There was ... there was someone, someone he FEARED, and they were going to kill him/her/them.

_They didn't want to die!_

"Mustn't run away." The words left Nefer's lips as the crackling of energy consumed him, pyrrhic golden flame and pale lightning.

Then the flame left _her_ there, changed, still frightened and she lifted up an arm to fend the visions away.. and the tornado of air blasted the greenskins back.

Orks, being orks reacted by rushing at the source of the tornado figuring it was a ded killy humie weirdboy. Oh, they could die, but hey, if you died fighting, it didn't count as losing, did it? They swarmed and screamed, waving crude weapons over their heads. The ones in the back started trying to kill those in the front, eager to fight.

Lightning crackled, as the new shape's instinct's came to the fore.

They didn't want to die. They didn't want to die!

Arrows were loosed, lightning blazing from a bow made of light, burning greenskins to ash, adrenaline blazing through them, the fear only strengthening the bolts, speeding the rapid shots.

They didn't want to die, so the monsters had to die first!

The survivors could only explain it one way. The Princess and the Emperor in their mercy had sent a new warrior to save them. Clearly, it was a Senshi, though it was hard to say which in the chaos.

Still, most didn't waste time trying to figure it out in more detail as they scrambled for safety.

Safety they eventually found behind the aforementioned senshi. Whose attacks were clearly of the long-ranged type.

The arrows blazed out, what seemed like a never-ending stream, perfect vision, perfect targetting, burning the orcs to ash until there was nothing left.

Then, as the smoke began to clear, they saw her properly.

The senshi had long, golden hair, straight and brilliant. The sign of Baal on her forehead was a disc over a crescent*; it glowed a rich reddish-golden color. The clothes that had fit snugly on the frame of a slim, lithe young man hung much differently on the frame of a full breasted, slim-hipped young woman. White wings twitched in agitation behind her. Her skin was tanned, her eyes blue.

…..those eyes were also utterly terrified.

As the survivors watched, the Senshi, having fended off the danger, made her wobbly way over to a corner and vomited, shoulders shaking, like a green soldier who had made their first kill.

That made one of the survivors, a middle-aged woman gather her courage and approach the Senshi.

She didn't touch her, naturally, but did offer a handkerchief. It was as if a spell broke and people started trying to somehow get in control of the situation. There was shouting, there was crying...

And there was the captain, telling his Astropath to send a messege to Terra.

"T-thank you." Nefer managed, memories swirling in her head, feeling worse and worse, disoriented beyond belief. She took the handkerchief. She managed to wobble back to her feet, and wiped her mouth with it, then noticed the fact that she was a she.

Blue eyes went wide, and glassy with all-too human shock. A scream of incoherent horror was choked off violently, she teetered,

Blackness tried to consume her, screaming horror overtaking her and yet she stood, on those wobbling legs, and managed to seat herself and hide her face in her arms before breaking down while in the fetal position.

What had just happened? WHY WAS HE A GIRL?

After a while, somebody offered her a glass of water and even suggested they'd get her to a suitable room where she could rest. People were acting rather understanding and awed, despite Nefer's behaviour.

She was a new Senshi. Perhaps she was upset over the lives she could not save?

Nefer was nowhere near that kind, nor compassionate. What he was, at this point, was trauma'd beyond his natural ability to cope without gibbering in terror.

Regrettably, it seemed the universe was utterly determined to screw him over, because the Astropath did manage to send the message to Terra...

And while Nefer had seen other senshi power down, (on the vids) he had no idea how to do so, himself.

He was so screwed.

After a while of screaming inside her own head, Nefer put the handkerchief he'd been given, away, and went to go check on the rest of the passengers, the part of him that was a medic (even if he wasn't so experienced at it as he wanted to be) moving on autopilot. Which of course just convinced everybody she was a selfless hero.

AUGH.

{oOo}

AN: Written by Djibriel.


	3. I Cadia

{oOo}

_The Cadian Eagle_

{oOo}

Consciousness is not common in souls that still rest entirely in the Warp, unattached to a body. Usually, it comes later, once the soul is born or empowered. A small flicker of light spread inside one such potential soul in the region of the Warp that was surrounding Cadia. Slowly, the light grew stronger, giving birth to a sense of self.

First came the comprehension of duty. Protection. The core upon all the other traits would be built.

Then came power, as of yet an unshaped potential. The unshaped mind saw vast possibilities: mighty tanks, the crackle of las-fire, the roar of bolters. It saw war, never-ending and brutal, but necessary.

{oOo}

The Emperor remained silent as his consciousness withdrew from the newly formed mind, as it anchored itself in a body. In nine months they would have a result: a visible result. He closed his eyes, considering his next step. The first Senshi Minoris was not as they had hoped: empowered as an adult, Baal Primus had a fixed personality that was not compatible with what would be expected of a living shield.

Still, one lived and learned. Clearly, the process would initially have higher costs, but the Emperor still believed it would be worth it. He wasn't going to write down Baal Primus as a complete failure—while the Senshi was by no means a warrior, teaching others was another matter.

The future Senshi Minoris would need a mentor…

{oOo}

"And what if it's a girl?" Sergeant Talia Vane mused.

The regimental chaplain looked at her, a small smile spreading on his scared face. "I'm sure an appropriate name will occur to you. Sergeant."

He made a faint gesture with his arm and only belatedly noticed that Talia was looking at the Imperial Emblem with an expression that could be only described as inspired.

"Then I'll call her Aquila."

{oOo}


	4. II Chemos

{oOo}

_The Alabaster Siren_

{oOo}

Incendiary shells shrieked overhead making one Saul Tarvitz curse with surprising foulness as the shells impacted with his huge armoured body, 'If this goes on we won't find her!'

Nevertheless, he held himself still until the bombardment halted and in that instant, before the traitor soldiers had the chance to reload, the waiting Emperors Children boiled out from their cover and surged forward wordless battle-cries harshened by the vox-broadcast from their helmets, causing some of the weaker willed soldiers to break and attempt to flee, yet where cut down along-side their comrades as the ruthless precision on the 3rd Legion came into play.

{oOo}

"Children of the Emperor!" was the full-throated roar of Saul's squad as they bore down on the now unprotected and unarmed cultists clustered in an around the ritual circle that held the wailing form of a small infant.

The noise that erupted when they hit the circle and cultists was that of shattering glass, pulping meat and cracking bone.

"Arsenius!" barked Saul.

"Yes, sir!" the Librarian thrust out one hand, eyes shining, and the athame that had been diving for the pale infants chest, was splintered by the dome-shaped shield that formed over her.

The cultist drew breath to shriek, eyes also glowing brilliantly, only to let out a choked gurgle that was drowned out as Saul's bolter bit into and across her torso tearing her in half. Warp-spawned glow guttering away with her death, each half falling at his massive feet. The rest of his squad cut down the maddened cultists, some even throwing themselves on the Marines blades, crying out entreaties to Slaanesh.

The last of the killing done, Saul gestured to one of his marines to pick up the now quiet infant, the shield that the squads Librarian had projected around her dissolving, but was halted by said Librarian.

"Sir, wait."

Saul's eye pieces turned to the Librarian somehow projecting a sense of menace, before noting Arsenius held out his surcoat, "The ceramite will be a mite cold and hard for our Chemos," he said seriously, making Saul smile ruefully, though unseen from inside the dreadnoughts sarcophagus.

The girl sniffled, blinking up at them with watery, but vibrantly purple eyes.

Saul smiled again.

{oOo}

Fine white brows drew together in intense concentration as the brightly threaded needle dipped into the backing cloth.

"Ouch!" she stuck her finger in her mouth reflexively.

There was a rough vox-growl that translated to a sigh of exasperation, "I told you to be careful," Saul reproached as he carefully set down the large tome of rites he had been reading and gently nudged her arm up with one large ceramite finger.

She wriggled her fingers, showing it had already stopped bleeding, "I am fine," she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Still, you have to be careful," he repeated.

"Yes, Saul," the young girl said solemnly, laughter in her clear eyes.

He could only sigh gratingly again as he picked up the neglected tome.

{oOo}


	5. III Prospero

{oOo}

_The Mysteries (of Life)_

{oOo}

Violet eyes regarded the dusky skinned infant cradled lightly in Magnus' hands from over one his broad shoulders, chin resting on her cupped palms.

"I wonder if I should be put out that she resembles you so," Ira remarked dryly.

"In colouring, perhaps," riposted Magnus, "I would say she resembles you more."

He traced a large finger over the slant of the child's eyebrows, and the curve of her cheek, "Here, and here, she will have a regal, queenly beauty when she becomes an adult."

Ira slanted a look at the side of Magnus' head, "Flatterer," she accused, not entirely able to hide a small pleased smile and a faint blush.

Feeling her smile, he said with pious innocence, "But I only speak the truth."

Ira laughed quietly and rested her cheek against his.

The baby gurgled, as if sensing the moment and was keen to bring their attention back to her.

"That's rude," chided Magnus, as Ira laughed again, forehead coming rest on her forearms as her shoulders shook with mirth.

"She has initiative," observed Ira, her eyes merry.

Magnus let out a groaning sigh.

{oOo}

Lines etched themselves precisely into the dry ground in complex whorls and swirls, none overlapping unless the mind behind the creation of the design willed it so.

Arcana sat back with a huff of breath in the shade of the pavilion and looked hopefully up at her Raptora teacher, fidgeting, as he studied the designs at some length before nodding in approval and saying, "Your fine control is improving greatly, well done Lady Arcana."

She huffed again, "Of course it is," she remarked grumpily, "With all the control exercises you have me doing."

Iah raised his eyebrows mildly, "Sutekh noted that such things seemed necessary."

Arcana wilted visibly, "He told you about…that?"

She got a look of calm reproof, "You did ignite his robes in a fit of pique." He gestured at the design on in the ground, "So we decided it was necessary, so you would have the restraint to release your powers only when needed."

She nodded silently, eyes worried, "But…"

"You are impatient," finished Iah, his deep brown eyes understanding.

The young redhead fidgeted again.

{oOo}

AN:Note, despite her verbosity here, Arcana is roughly five or six years old here, perhaps a little more, telepathy and how she has been raised has made her mature a little faster than normal.


	6. IV Cthonia

{oOo}

_The Jewel of the Warmaster_

{oOo}

Tarik Torgaddon regarded the small dark haired girl he had clasped in his hands and broke into a smile that gave his brother and fellow Chapter Master great reason to feel concerned.

"Tarik." Loken said flatly.

Breaking the staring match, replete with silly faces he had been competing in, leaving the girl giggling and clapping her hands in delight, the equally dark haired Marine looked up and noted Loken's unimpressed look, "Relax, Garvi," he said airily, "She and I are going to get along just fine."

"…That's what I'm worried about," deadpanned the blonde.

There was a rich chuckle from the fourth person in the room, whom had been silent until that moment.

"Sir?"

"Nothing, my sons," said Horus, an amused twinkle in his eyes.

This earned a pair of mildly sceptical looks, making Horus' give them a look of affronted innocence.

{oOo}

The girl made a rude noise in Loken's direction, before laughing and ducking for cover behind Torgaddon, who laughed and scooped her up, "That's my girl!"

Loken only rolled his eyes in mild disgust.

His dark haired brother only said, "My turn to be the favourite uncle now," he noted somewhat smugly.

{oOo}

There was a loud clang as the practice sword met the young woman's pearly white gauntlets and she wavered at the force behind it, her own sword skittering across the floor of the training cage.

Her current training partner sighed, "You keep leaving yourself open when going through that form," he chided.

The brunette gave the grey-eyed man a vexed look, fair cheeks puffing out, "I still don't get why it has to be those precise angles I hold myself in, it isn't comfortable," she complained.

Loken gave her a dry look, "Let's go through it again, properly, and you should understand."

He led her slowly through the form, and again more swiftly and at the end Adamina was studying her sword, expression thoughtful.

"Well?"

She rolled her eyes, a small smile forming despite herself, "Fine, fine, you where right."

{oOo}


	7. V Macragge

{oOo}

_The Light of Duty_

{oOo}

Roboute Guilleman gauged the couple standing before him, eyes lingering on the small bundle in the woman's arms.

"Sit," he motioned to the pair of smaller chairs set in front of his own, and remained standing until they themselves sat, "Her name?" He prompted

The father of Macragge looked apprehensive but spoke up, "It… it is a great honour that the Emperor has chosen us to bare your Senshi," he said haltingly, "And her name is Aurelia."

'Aurelia?' Roboute rolled the word around his head and felt approval, then nodded to the infant, "If anything, you should thank your daughter, it was her soul that chose you."

The blonde woman looked wonderingly at her new daughter, "Us? Out of so many?"

"Indeed, she obviously felt you had the qualities important to her."

The young mother lifted her baby and rested her cheek against the girls golden hair.

{oOo}

"So brother, do we get to meet the new addition to our family?" Vulkan asked after the obligatory formalities had been exchanged.

Roboute's honour guard of Ultramarines was precisely the same size as the detachments of their own Legions that Vulkan and Sanguinius had brought so the landing bay was now a mix of blue, green and crimson as the three groups intermingled, veterans seeking out old acquaintances from their brother legions.

The Ultramarine Primarch nodded calmly. "Of course, Vulkan. I apologise that she was not here to greet you."

"I hope that she is well?" Sanguinius' voice held a trace of concern. Not all the Senshi Minoris had been found untouched by the enemies of the Imperium.

"Quite well, yes." Their brother paused in evident consideration of how to express his next thought. "She is merely..." There was a crackle of almost entirely inaudible sound from the speaker built into the collar of his armour. "Ah. She's arriving now."

The three Primarchs moved out of the compartment, leaving their Astartes to continue getting reacquainted. No sooner had the doors opened then a distant but approaching sound caught the attention of both new arrivals.

]"..."

It sounded like a voice - human, female, perhaps somewhat breathless.

The source arrived all of a sudden, darting around them towards the door.

"Sorryexcusemelategotto..."

She was human, dressed in a long blue silken tunic of the kind common to Ultramar fashion, in Vulkan's limited experience of his brother's realm. Long blonde hair was tied up in two ponytails, evident imitation of Serenity's preferred style (not at all uncommon). She'd also been moving almost as fast as some of Vulkan's slower astartes (More impressive than it sounded).

The girl drew herself up, back to the primarchs, straightened her tunic and the large bouquets of red, green and blue-headed flowers she bore, then prepared to enter the compartment that they had just left.

Roboute cleared his throat, very gently.

She froze and turned her head, very slightly, to see who she had just run past. A distinct reddening of her cheeks took place.

"My brothers, may I present to you Senshi Macragge," Roboute intoned formally.

Both Primarchs bowed deeply to the girl. "It is a great pleasure to meet you," Sanginius said in his most charming voice. Vulkan rolled his eyes. No doubt his winged brother would inadvertantly spark off another teenage crush.

Macragge swallowed and held up the bouquets like a shield to block off her face. "Um... haha... er... Welcome to Macragge! I brought you flowers! I was... um... picking them for you and...lost track of time." Yes, there was that crush.

Kindly, Sanguinius let her off the hook. "What lovely flowers." He accepted one and sniffed at them. "The scent is delightful."

Vulkan could now see a very obvious redness in Macragge's cheeks. Although... He blinked. She was looking at him, not Sanguinius. Avoiding the gaze of her new idol perhaps?

Then Senshi Macragge stepped quickly towards the Primarch of the Salamanders and placed the other bouquet in his hands before staring up at his black face with her huge green eyes. "Oh wow, they really glow..." She murmured in wonder.

Roboute Guilleman, Master of Ultramar, Primarch of XIII Legion started chewing on his lower lip rather than laugh at the perplexed look on Vulkan's face.

{oOo}

AN: Something of a collaberation between drakensis and I.


	8. VI Baal Secundus

{oOo}

_Angela Encarmine_

{oOo}

The woman looked terribly unnerved as she was lead through the hallways of fortress of the Blood Angel, a small bundle clasped to chest protectively.

The Librarian chuckled, making the woman jump, "No harm will come to her," he assured her with a steadying hand, "She is infinitely precious to us all."

"…Is he really as handsome as people say?" blurted the woman.

This earned a peal of laughter from the Librarian, making the woman blush furiously.

"Yes," admitted the robed Marine, "Yes, probably moreso than they say, unaugmented humans react quite strongly to seeing any Primarch."

She looked worried, and for her trouble had a smile bestowed upon her, "You will do fine."

"Certainly," a new voice spoke up sounding amused.

The Marine jumped guiltily, looking abashed and stood back ramrod straight, "My lord!"

"At ease," the blond Primarch gestured, smiling warmly, "You have given no offense."

"Now," he turned, still smiling, to the star-stuck woman both he and the Librarian dwarfed, "I understand you have had the honour to bare into the world our homes heart, may I see her?" He looked oddly boyish, almost… eager?

This brought the young mother out of her stupefication and she stifled a smile, "Yes, my lord," she held the small blanket-swathed out carefully.

{oOo}

Wide, shining eyes stared up at Sanguinius with such gratitude he couldn't possibly be angry at their owner as they settled to the floor.

"Now why do you keep doing that if you get stuck?" he chided gently.

The blonde girl-child squirmed in his light grip, wings fluttering, "…It fun?" Red eyes blinked hopefully, arms reaching around his neck as she cuddled closer, round cheek pressed against his.

His mouth twitched into amused smile, "Or you just like hugs that come after," Sanguinius observed wryly.

She giggled lightly.

"Stuck in the chandeliers again, my Lord?" a bemused female voice interrupted.

The girl perked up and cried gleefully before launching herself out of Sanguinius' arms, small wings flapping wildly, "Mama!"

The woman stumbled as her enthusiastic child impacted with her torso, "Really, Sangri," her mother sighed disapprovingly, shaking her head.

{oOo}


	9. VII Fenris

{oOo}

_The Heart of Winter_

{oOo}

The grizzled Rune priest led the expecting woman through the winding hallways of the Fang towards the main audience chamber, the walls lined with heavy tapestries detailing past battles and glories, suits of archaic armour, and oddly, specimens hardy plants from various planets in the Imperium.

On turning another corner the odd pair entered a hallway with a huge carved door and approached.

The heavy door boomed as the Marine struck it thrice with one fist, and it slowly ground open.

"Lady Thora?" the man blinked at the unexpected sight of Fenris' statuesque queen beside her daughter.

Thora laughed, sound echoing off the walls, "Ira got all 'cryptic seer' again," she said her face full of wry amusement, making the rune priest smirk behind his beard before noting, "Even for her divining the future is tricky."

Ulfhild chuckled, "So she has grumbled, many a time."

Thora's eyes where piercing as they looked at the woman, "So, you are our Fenris' mother-to-be?"

"S-so they say, my lady," stammered the wide-eyed brunette.

Thora's fierce look softened into a maternal smile, "None of that," she rose and rested a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder, leading her to a seat Ulfhild had set out, "We're going to be family now, aren't we?"

{oOo}

Varda squawked indignantly, arms and legs flailing, as a large hand hauled her out of a snow-bank she had burrowed herself in.

"HEY!" she protested.

Ulfhild fixed her with a stern look, "It worries your mother when you do that."

The blonde girl glowered, "But she knows it won't hurt me," a credible whine entering her voice.

The older red-head brushed off the clinging snow with muted growl of exasperation, "Oh, she knows, but knowing its different from understanding."

Mismatched eyes looked at her with confusion.

"You'll understand when you are older," added Ulfhild with a mock growly look, setting the young girl on the ground, "now let's go home."

Varda smiled, wide and toothsome, "Only if you catch me!" she cried before diving into another snow bank.

"VARDA!

{oOo}


	10. VIII Nocturne

{oOo}

_Tempering the Spirit_

{oOo}

Despite the Dark Eldar's face being hidden by a mask of flayed human skin, the sneer couldn't be more apparent as he noted, "Really it is your sire's own fault that all this happened," he picked at his cruel blood-caked nails idly, "Had he not interrupted our sport on this planet we would left you be."

One of the angered Salamanders let out a low hiss.

"We know your kind, xeno," spat another, "You would have come to 'sport' even if our Senshi hadn't been born!"

"Maybe, maybe not," he shrugged fluidly, "but how could have we let this most delicious chance escape us?"

"Just like you," a powerful voice noted grimly from behind the masked Eldar.

"Lord Vulkan!"

On whipping around the Eldar found his head engulfed by one of said man's large hands, eye flicked frantically between two of Vulkan's fingers to look up at his face, and saw only his death in those red eyes.

Vulkan squeezed lightly, even this causing the thin being near-debilitating pain.

"Now," he said with dreadful gentleness, "You will show us where your raiding party has Nocturne…"

{oOo}

Though his face was like stone as he held the sniffling blood-spattered infant, Vulkan's eyes burned with anger at the wreakage of the remote village and the aftermath of the Dark Eldars sport on the people.

An Apothecary exited one of the more intact houses grimly and approached his lord, "I have found her parents," he said, eyes like awls, _'Or what remains of them,'_ he thought to himself in disgust.

Recognising the look on the Apothecaries face, Vulkan handed the girl to him "She has no need of seeing… this. See to her health."

The Apothecary nodded sharply and strode back to their transport.

The Primarch ducked his head into the house and the door-frame shattered under his grip on seeing what had been done.

{oOo}

Vulkan frowned at the defiant young girl in front of him, "Echo-" he started before abruptly being cut off.

"They made my friend cry!" the girl's dark cheeks puffed out in indignation, amber eyes sparking sullenly.

He sighed, "Yes, I know they did, but that is still no excuse for using your superior strength and training against them," this was said sternly, "That strength exists to aid the citizens of the Imperium, not bully them for petty slights."

Echo grumbled wordlessly, but couldn't disagree.

"Come on," Vulkan crouched and rested a large hand on her bright green hair and smiled, "Why don't we work on that project that I promised we would do, hm?"

She broke into a broad glowing smile, "Really?"

"Really."

{oOo}


	11. IX Medusa

{oOo}

_The Maiden of Stone_

{oOo}

Silver eyes regarded the blindfolded and huddled little girl that the Marines had brought before him.

"She is Medusa?" rumbled Ferrus, addressing the Brother Sergeant attached to that squad still gazing at the young girl, his face unreadable.

The Sergeant nodded, "Our Librarian felt her… awakening."

Ferrus raised an eyebrow in curiosity, the Sergeant grimaced subtly and gestured to one of his men to guide the girl out of her earshot, "It seems that her first power is quite strongly connected to her eyes, hence the blindfold, and when it activated some three days ago she turned a cousin of hers into solid stone."

His Primarchs' eyes widened slightly at this.

"So you can understand her emotional state at this point in time," the Marine added.

"Indeed…" Ferrus' voice was thoughtful, before he waved the Marine looming over Bia, who led her over. Ferrus crouched and placed a hand lightly on the child's grey hair, making her flinch, and said, "We'll be taking you somewhere you can train, so your eyes won't hurt anybody again," he tried to sound reassuring, and wasn't sure if he had succeeded.

"…Really?" Bia's voice was small and almost unheard.

{oOo}

Bia remembered the day when her powers activated. She was only five and upset that her cousin took her doll. The next moment, his hand was turning to stone and—she had cried when that happened and wouldn't open her eyes later. Mother gave her a blindfold.

Just three days later, the Iron Hands showed up and took her away. She went to Terra to learn how to be Senshi Medusa. At the end of her training, Ferrus Manus and Magnus the Red approached her and gave her her glasses.

"They will help you control your powers," Ferrus Manus had said.

"I made sure that they will suppress them myself," Magnus had added.

They had worked. Her powers never got out of control again.

And then one day, as she was escorting Magnus the Red to his brother, a Scout bumped into her. She stumbled forward noticing too late that the glasses slipped of her nose.

"M-my glasses!" Bia cried, screwing her eyes shut. She heard a crunch and with a sinking feeling, realized that the scout who bumped into her must have not managed to slow down and ran over them. The glasses lay only a few meters away bent and broken.

"You don't need them," Magnus said, placing his large hand on her shoulder.

The girl remained unresponsive, not daring to even glance. She'd seen what happened when she looked at anything unprotected. She couldn't risk opening them. "But nothing-!"

"It was you," Magnus said. "You believed they worked and they did. Now you just need to believe that you can control your power without them.

{oOo}

AN: Collabed by Nico Hana and Bloody Mary.


	12. X Necromunda

{oOo}

_The Inescapable Bullet_

{oOo}

The Lion regarded the wide-eyed young girl silently for a long while making her start to fidget nervously.

Alta poked him in the side exasperatedly.

"What?" he said crossly.

She wordlessly shook her head in exasperation, and knelt before the newly discovered Senshi Necromunda, smiling warmly, "Would you tell me your name, little sister?"

"Adrasteia," the girl in question mumbled, grey eyes dazzled as she looked up into Alta's face.

Alta nodded approvingly, "A lovely name."

The blond Primarch gave his companion a quizzical look, and was answered with a smile, "It means 'inevitable'."

He looked grudgingly pleased and nodded in agreement, "A suitable name."

The grey-eyed girl blushed furiously at the praise, while Alta rolled her eyes derisively at his last comment.

{oOo}

Tongue poking out in focus, Adrasteia meticulously aimed her new custom-made bolt-pistol and fired, hitting the target dead-center.

"Good," said the grizzled Guardsman gruffly, "Now do it faster, or the enemy will have made off with your eyeballs before you could have fired."

She made a disgruntled face at him and ended up prodded sharply for her trouble.

"And you do want to keep them, don't you?" he continued blithely.

"Of course!" she glared at him.

"Then go faster."

Growling, she re-aimed and fired smoothly, more rapidly this time.

"Again!"

She groaned and pressed the gun to her forehead.

"Hop to it, girl!" he barked in his best drill sergeant voice.

"Alright alright!"

{oOo}

"C'mon, c'mon…" whispered the grey-and-green clad young woman staring down the barrel of the high calibre rifle in her hands, holding herself still and patient until the target entered her sights.

'Got it!'

There was a muffled thump as she pressed the trigger and the silenced gun bucked in recoil, and as the bullet rocketed outwards, she scooped up the spent casing, her gear and left while anybody was none-the-wiser.

{oOo}


	13. XI Barbarus

{oOo}

_The Whispering Bane_

{oOo}

The unusually slim young girl regarded Mortarion and his Deathshroud guard gravely from between two Barbarus stationed marines, greyish-green eyes unafraid.

"Lady Persephone?" she asked, looking vaguely put out.

His mouth quirked into tiny smile, "On campaign with one of my brothers."

The five year old girl mulled that over before nodding with seriousness not often found to those her age.

"You still haven't introduced yourself," Mortarion prodded lightly, his eyes almost unnoticeably amused.

Red suffused the girls pale cheeks while some of the surrounding marines suppressed faint smiles, and still blushing she curtseyed, "Morta, sir," she mumbled.

Mortarion shifted his now-faintly surprised gaze to the marine attempting to look the most innocent in the surrounding group, who gave an embarrassed shrug at being found out.

{oOo}

Morta stared with wide-eyed, open-mouthed stupefaction at the sheer sprawling immensity that was the Imperial Palace of Terra as the hatches of the Thunderhawk hit the deck of the port.

Mortarion poked her shoulder.

"B-big," she squeaked, still goggling.

"Very," agreed Mortarion.

"Brother!" called out a delighted female voice

He strode forward, his long legs eating up the distance rapidly and swept up the dark-gowned woman into a close embrace, "Hello, Persephone," he greeted her, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the embrace.

"Nice to see you again after so long," she murmured into Mortarion's ear, "But I see you have brought somebody," the sable-eyed woman smiled down at the stunned Morta from over Mortarion's shoulder.

"Yes," he agreed setting his grown up ward back down on the floor, "Barbarus," and nudged Morta forward.

"Truly?"

A wordless nod.

Persephone knelt and hugged the slender girl, who hesitantly returned the embrace, "Welcome to Terra, little sister."

{oOo}

Pale mist ghosted from Morta's mouth as she exhaled lightly, careful to keep it well away from her teacher as they sat cross-legged on one of the many balconies on the Palace, said teachers pale lips hitching up into a smile, "You know it will not harm me," Persephone said, much amused.

The young girl only gave her a wordlessly patient look that said, 'But it will harm others.'

Persephone laughed quietly, "Such a considerate girl," and ruffled Morta's khaki green hair affectionately.

Morta sighed, more poisonous mist escaping.

{oOo}


	14. XII Olympia

{oOo}

_The Iron-clad Defence_

{oOo}

Tekhne smiled gently at the dark haired infant cradled in her arms, mechadendrites rippling in a way that could only be described as contented.

"Looks like it has happened again, Lord," murmured the battle scarred Serik, current Chapter Master of the Iron Warriors.

Perturabo gave him a remonstrating look, "She is the way she is," he said rather sharply.

The marine raised his hands to pacify his Primarch, "I meant no offence, it is a fine thing Lady Tekhne is invested so in the future generations of the Imperium," 'And you to, as well, my lord', he left unsaid.

Tekhne waved her husband over, and Serik wisely remained where he was, and watched them both.

{oOo}

The dark-haired young lady frowned and pulled her head out of console she had been working on and called out, "Okay, who last touched the circuitry in here?"

Several heads swivelled around, the visiting Mars Adept doing so more literally, and Soteria ruthlessly prevented the distaste from showing on her face, but said, "Lambda Mu-78, please do not do that." 'It is not natural for a humanoid body do that.'

"Your trivial repugnance is noted," responded the adept evenly, digitized voice slightly grating.

'He is mocking me, I'm sure of it,' Soteria thought to herself, eyebrow twitching a little.

"You seem to be malfunctioning," observed the Adept in a tone that might at a stretch, be considered solicitous.

She resolutely turned her back to the console and said with utter blandness, "This will need to be rewired, whoever worked on it last did so incorrectly."

Foot-steps drew towards her, "Do you not need protective gear?" there was curiosity in that grating voice now.

"Technically no," she said absently, voice echoing in the recess of the console, "My abilities as a Senshi will keep me from harm."

As if in answer to this, a cascade of sparks showered over her as she detached a stubborn cable, yet skittered across her skin with no effect.

"…So it seems."

"Indeed," her tone was censured.

Unseen to her Lambda Mu-78 nodded thoughtfully as he watched her work, "So what do your capabilities consist of?"

Her mouth twitched into a smile as she began to reconnect cables, "Protection from adverse affects such as poisonous gasses and extremes of temperature, force-fields and such" she listed clinically.

"No offensive capability?"

"Not without… creative applications," Soteria retreated from the console and began to reattach the covers.

"…You have a deft way of working, for your youth," the Adept said almost grudgingly.

She nodded regally, "Thank you, Adept, Mother and Father expect the best any person can do."

{oOo}


	15. XIII Inwit

{oOo}

_Caelum Lux_

{oOo}

Blue-green eyes blinked up at him, before the young child said loudly, "She has reeaally long hair!"

"Kalare," chided Luvia, before turning to Azmina, "I apologise, my lady-"

She smiled, "No need to apologise, cousin," she chuckled and scooped the girl up in one arm, ignoring her loud squawk of protest, "She only speaks the truth."

She combed her finger through it, "And it is lovely as well a long."

Bringing Kalare level with her face and tickled the girls nose and cheeks with said long hair, Azmina greeted her gravely, eyes still glinting with humour, "Hello, little sister, nice to have you with us at last."

Kalare batted the strands away from her face. Cheeks puffed out and nose wrinkled at the indignity, she blew raspberry at the woman holding her.

Her mother made a scandalized noise, yet Azmina only gave a small chuckle, but then she tapped the girls nose with one finger and admonished, "And listen to your mother, she has much to teach you." She finished this with a stern look.

Looking somewhat chastened, the young blonde nodded, a blush spreading across her cheeks as she rubbed her nose.

{oOo}

Muffled by the layers of furs-worn more out of custom and lack of desire to stand out, than true need), Kalare broke the ridgeline, and stopped to watch Inwit's distant sun rise, the sky lighting up in rivers of muted, but warm hues of pink, lavender and orange, spreading like wine spilled on cloth.

For several long minutes she soaked up the quiet and solitude as the sun inched to the sky, the expanse of snow before her glittering, until crunching footsteps interrupted and their owner joined her vigil.

"You're early, Uncle Rogal," she observed eventually, breaking the hush, "We weren't expecting you until tomorrow night at least."

A dry smile touched his face, "The warp-tides where in our favour for that journey, for once." He tore his gaze from the horizon to regard his 'niece', "I'd say you are awake fairly early yourself."

Kalare looked up at him briefly, before turning back to the vista, "I like to do this sometimes to remind me of important things," her mouth twitched into a smile, "And for some peace and quiet, the compound can be hectic at times."

Rogal smirked faintly, recalling times when he and Azmina where young, "Too true, too true."

After several more quiet moments, a hand settled across her back, nudging her back down the ridgeline, "We better head back," he noted, "Or there may not be any breakfast for us."

The blonde rolled her eyes, but allowed Rogal steer her back to family compound, "Beasts, the lot of them," she deadpanned.

He chuckled again.

{oOo}


	16. XIV Koyush'ea

{oOo}

_On the Hot Dust_

{oOo}

Kharn turned his head at the distant sound of a thousands-strong crowd roaring its approval to the skies.

"Sir?" the Administratum Adept spoke up warily.

This earned a sharp look, "What's that noise about?"

The adepts eyes widened, "Oh!" he exclaimed, "that's the finals of the system-wide fighting tournament, I was intending to go," he then added somewhat sheepishly, "I hope Furia won, I bet a lot on her."

Kharn's eyebrow jumped upwards, "Furia…?" he echoed.

"Yeah," the adept nodded enthusiastically, "Nobody knows where she came from, or her true name, but three years ago she joined, and, hopefully, is still reigning champion."

He leaned forward in a conspiratorial manner, forgetting who exactly Kharn was in his enthusiasm, "I wouldn't call her beautiful by conventional means, what with the tattoos and all, but she is really striking, and hard to overlook, it's the red hair and the boisterous larger-than-life presence she always emanates, I think."

Kharn made a faint noise of interest in the back of his throat, for entirely different reasons, "System-wide, you said?"

The adept blinked, "…Yes?"

Kharn broke into a rather unsettling grin.

{oOo}

"Now this is interesting!" boomed the announcer over the vox, "Seems like we have a bonus challenger!"

This brought Furia down to earth a little, causing her to blink as the crowd let out a surprised rumble.

"Now," went on the announcer, "Who is this-" he broke off into stunned silence as an aide relayed who it was, as the gates conveniently opposite Furia clanked open.

"K-kharn, First C-captain of the World Eaters…" stammered the announcer in a squeaky voice.

At the sight of the un-armoured Astartes stepping through the gate, and on hearing just who had challenged her Furia's eyes nearly fell out of head as her mind gibbered at her, 'Kharn, of the World Eaters, equerry to A-angron,'

She watched stunned as he raised his eyebrows and smirked, "Forfeiting already?"

This snapped her out of that stupefied state of mind, her battlelust rising to the fore again, despite the knowledge that she was outclassed, "Not on your life!"

{oOo}

'He's beating me like a festival drum,' thought the redhead dazedly, head spinning as she staggered to her feet, a wild grin forming on her face, 'This is GREAT!' she exulted, leaping back into the fight.

Kharn laughed without reservation as they crossed blades again, easily pushing the flagging Furia back, "You are really enjoying this aren't you?"

"Of course," said Furia through gritted teeth and harsh breathing, lips still stretched into that broad grin, eyes glowing with battle wildness.

"GOOD!" he roared in response, an answering grin spreading across his face, flinging her back with an expert twist of his sword.

Furia's back slammed into the dusty stadium floor with enough force that would have crippled even an augmented grown man, as it was her much abused body protested mightily at this indignity, causing her to see stars flashing across her vision.

Before she could recover, she felt her bandanna being pushed up her forehead by calloused fingers, baring the fading glow of her sigil to her opponents eyes, and unseen to Furia, he nodded to himself.

"Yield?" rumbled Kharn tugging it back into place.

She wheezed, "I y-yield."

He grunted and hauled her up and taking a firm grip of the back of her shirt as her knees buckled, "Let's get you to the infirmary, little sister." he said in surprisingly gentle voice.

{oOo}


	17. XV Catachan

{oOo}

_Law of the Jungle_

{oOo}

The burly sergeant saluted crisply despite his surprise at who had stepped out of the doors of the landing Stormbird, "Welcome to Catachan, Your Highness."

Serenity inclined her head gracefully, carefully bound hair swaying, "It's my pleasure, Sergeant"

She then smiled warmly down at the wide-eyed young girl grasping her father's hand, "Hello."

The girl gasped in surprise, but recovered quickly and parroted her father's salute. One did not meet the Royal Princess every day, after all.

{oOo}

A shadow ghosted between the densely packed trees, neatly side-stepping some brainleaf… before nearly walking into an outstretched fist.

"Pop!" the young brunette protested, glaring at the offending appendage.

The burly man in fatigues only smirked. "The plants may like you a little more than the rest of us, but that is no excuse to slack off."

"Ugh." The young Senshi Minoris looked about as enthusiastic at being chided as any teenager. It would be still some years before she would see the wisdom of her father's words. For now, she was the wisest person in the Galaxy (at least in her own head).

"C'mon, girly." Sergeant Cawsey tucked his daughter under one strong arm and waded back through the undergrowth, heading back to their settlement.

{oOo}

"Careful!"

The little boy froze, as the camouflaged young woman made her way towards him and gingerly picked him up before carrying him away.

"Really Jonny," she chided, frowning at him, deep green eyes disapproving beneath the crimson bandana she wore, "You should look where you are going, if you want to join the regiment."

He glared at her, "I do!"

"Then why did you nearly step on that patch of strangle-vine?" her tone was sharp, but not unnecessarily harsh.

"…I didn't see it," the boy mumbled.

"Too busy showing off?" she asked sternly. Catachan was not a garden and being careless was the fastest way to an early grave.

Jonny nodded, eyes fixed on his feet.

She prodded him ahead of her, into rejoining the group of children clustered at the base of one of the many trees.

"Now, what can we all learn from this?" she asked in her brisk voice, thumbs hooked in the belt-loops of her fatigues as she stood before her erstwhile students, the various young hopefuls for posts in both the Guard and the PDF.

One girl with short, matted dreadlocks raised her hand,."If someone with more experience with the local environment tells you something, listen to them well?"

"Exactly," Zilvia nodded, tags rattling, "Well done, Suri."

{oOo}


	18. XVI Deliverance

{oOo}

_Like a Shadow in the Night_

{oOo}

"Lord Corax!" called a young male voice through the plasteel door of the chambers of the Raven Guards Primarch, causing the man in question to rise and key the door open. On seeing the young scouts excited face he cast his thoughts through his memory for a name.

"Scout Aakesh?" he hazarded.

"Yes, sir!" the young Marine saluted smartly, beaming at his gene-sires recollection of his name, "I have important news."

"And this news is…?" Corax prompted, somewhat bemused at the enthusiasm of the youth in front of him, and hiding relief that his guess was correct.

"Sir!" the scouts dark eyes where full of pride, "Senshi Deliverance has been born!"

In spite of himself, Corax's eyes widened and an uncharacteristically open and delighted smile spread across his pale, sober face, stunning young Aakesh in its appearance.

"Well now," Corax said in his quiet voice, clapping a hand on Aakesh's shoulder and steering him out into corridor, "I take it that you know her location?"

Aakesh nodded.

"Well then," Corax squeezed his shoulder lightly, "Show me."

"Yes, sir!" the scout lead his Primarch through the winding passages of the Ravenspire, and up to its starport, where a squad of veteran Marines stood at attention, one in the fore ground gingerly holding a small blanket wrapped bundle in one ceramite encased fist.

As Corax and Aakesh approached all the Marines but the one holding this oh-so-small but infinitely important package saluted.

Corax wordlessly held out his hands, and on receiving the blanket-swathed infant he cradled her gently in one hand and nudged aside the cloth with one finger to get a clear view of his homeworlds living, breathing heart, the spirit nurtured in its core in the Immaterium, fed by the fervent hope, dreams and most of all the belief of Deliverances small population, including himself.

He look down into a small face as pale as his own, capped with night-dark hair, and seemingly sensing his gaze, the girl opened her eyes, just as dark as her hair, and stared up at him.

Then giggled, small hands waving up at him.

Corax's lips twitched into a small, almost unnoticeable, smile.

{oOo}


End file.
